If you've been on Facebook in the last 24 hours, you may already have the following video clip showing surfers balancing on the waves of a river.
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The “French Tidal Bore Party Wave” (as this video is unofficially known) shows dozens – we counted 77 – of stand-up paddlers, surfers, kayakers, and even some outriggers sharing a very, very big wave on a French river.
The Facebook repost that has gone viral is from the Costa Rican Surf Federation and mentions the famous “El Pororoca” tidal wave in the Amazon. However, this wave is actually the Gironde River tidal wave in France.
The Gironde River is located near the Bordeaux region, famous for its wine ( Google Maps ) and its mouths are large and open, so they act like funnels that funnel water inland and, combined with strong tides, create this crazy phenomenon. It has long been known to be a huge playground for surfers, and what you see in the video is a very small part of the Gironde's amazing capabilities.
Also watch this video clip (from YouTube), shot five years ago, which gives a very good angle of the waves in La Gironde.
